Electric lantern



A. S. LYHNE.

ELECTRIC LANTERN.

APPLlCATlON FILED AUG.25, 1921 1L ,4L3'2,84L8 Patented Oct. 17, 1922.

INVENTO R .ANJKER S. LYHNE, F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC LANTERN.

Application filed August 25, 1921. Serial No. 495,175.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that l, ANKER S. LYHNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State of 5 Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Electric Lanterns, of which the following is a specification.

M invention relates to electric lanterns, particularly to those provided with a container for dry cells, or other source of current in which the individual cells are easily accessible for purposes of renewal. The object of my invention is to provide an improved device of the above class which shall be of simple andrigid construction, easilyadapted for the renewal or insertion of a dry cell and conveniently carried in the hand.

To these and other ends my invention consists in certain improvements and com-' Figure 5 shows the switch for turning onand ofi the current for the lamp.

' Figure 6 is a. detail of the switch bushing with the handle shaft removed.

The numeral 10 indicates the container of metal or other suitable material for housing the lamp 11 and dry cells 20, or other source of current used, and is shown in the drawing as being provided on its front face with the lamp 11 and the switch 12 located just above the'lamp for the purposes of turning on and ofi the current. In order that the container may be conveniently carried, a handle 13 is shown secured to the top thereof, while for purposes of suspending the lantern from a hooker other convenient support, a downwardly projecting tongue 16 is fixed to the rear face of the container 10. As shown in Figure 3 the rear wall 14 of m container may be hinged in order that it may be swung opento permit the direct insertion or removal of the dry cells 20 and may be provided with a sliding bolt 15 or other convenient means for retaining the hinged wall 14 in a closed position". Immedlately to the rear of the front wall '10 of the container is a' plate or wall 17 preferably of insulating material provided with the recesses 18 and 19 through which are inserted the switch and lamp respectively. This plate or wall is removably secured in the container by any suitable means such as screws 17' passing through the front wall 10'. Secured to the rear of the plate or wall 17 are a plurality of resilient holders 21 co-operating with the sides of the dry cells 20 to secure them to the wall 17 .Lo-. cated above and below the holders 21 are the spring conductors 22' and 23 for cooperation with the bottom and to portions respectively, of the battery for c osing the circuit through the lamp. In the arrangement shown in Figures 2 and 4 it will be apparent that the holders 21 support the main weight of the battery, but it will nevertheless be apparent that the lower spring contacts 22 also support a portion of the weight-of the battery. A. conductor 24. is disposed so as to connect the rear of the lamp 11' with one of the conductors 22. The top conductor 23 with the same dry cell is connected through the conducting strip25 with the lower contact 22 of the other cell and the conductor 26 connects the top of this last mentioned cell through the switch with the casing and the outside of the lamp 11. From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the dry cells are connected in series and the circuit is completed as follows: from the rear of the lamp through conducting tongue 24, lower contact 22, dry cell held by the holder shown on the left in Figure 4, upper left spring contact 23, conducting strip 25, lower right springeonnector 22, right dry cell, upper right spring connector 23, conductor 26, and switch 12 to the casing of the container, reflector 36 and outside screw threads of the lamp 11. As shown in Figure 5 when the switch is open the conductor 26 is out of contact with any metal of the switch and when the latter is closed the lug 27 contacts with. the conductor 26 to'close the circuit through the conductor and easing.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6 the details I of my switch comprise a plate 28 secured to the frontwall of the container. Extending through the plate 28 is the switch shaft 29 provided at the rear end with the contact lugs 27 and at the front with the operating handle 30 for rotating the same. A guide bushing 31 for the switch shaft 29 is secured to the plate 28 and provided with notches 33 in the front end thereof, one side of each notchv being beveled or inclined to permit the handle 30 to ride out of the notch by cooperation with the inclined side thereof. A

' ment of the switch. As the handle 30 of the i as switch is turned the shaft-'29 is drawn forward against the action of the spring 32 until the handle is ready to engage the next notch in the bushing, so that the switch is always retained in either an open or closed circuit position. I

Among the advantagesof my invention may be enumerated the fact that a compact and neat container is provided for housing the lamp switch and dry cells or other source of current used which is convenient to handle as a unit, or which may be suspended from the wall by means of the depending tongue 16 secured to the rear thereof. The rear wall 14 of-the container being hinged provides a convenient means of access to the interior of the container for directly inserting or removing one of the dry cells, and since the conductors 22 and 23 are secured to the same wall and are arranged to co-operate with the respective battery electrodes, no additional wires or connections are necessary and no binding posts are required. Also as the battery supports, the contacts engaging the poles of the battery, the connections between these contacts, and the connection therefrom to the switch are all mounted on the single insulated .plate 17, these elements may all be assembled thereon outside of the container without interference from the walls of this container, and then the whole assembly may be quickly and easily secured in the con tainer, greatly reducing the cost of man- 'ufacture. This assembly may with equal facility be removed for inspection and re pair. With the switch disposed in the position indicated, the most convenient location is attained and there is no liability for the swltch to be accidentally moved from the position intended when it is constructed in the manner described above.

I claim 1. In an electric lantern combination with a container, of'an upright supporting wall of insulating material removably secured in said contalner, of means on said wall for clamping a plurality of dry cells thereto, a lamp carried by said container, and a plu-. rality of conductors fixed to said wall for connecting said dry cells when held by said means and also connecting them with said lamp. v I

2. In an electric lantern combination with a container, of an upright supporting wall of insulating material removably secured 1n said container, of means thereon for securan uprightsupporting wall of insulating material removably mounted in said container, resilient means for supporting a dry cell from said wall, and conductors fixed to the wall to yieldably contact with said cell and lamp and close the circuit through the lamp and dry cell.

4. In an electric lantern, the combination with a container, a supporting wall of insulating material mounted in said container, of an electric lamp carried by the container, a flexible metal holder fora dry cell fastened to the wall, yieldable conductors fixed to the wall above and below holder, and adapted to engage the electrodes at opposite ends of said dry cell, one of said con-,

ductors having electrical connection with the lamp.

5. In an electric lantern, the combination with a container, of a wall of insulating material in said container provided with a recess therein, an electric lamp and reflector carried by the container and extending through said recess, yieldable holders attached to the wall on' the inside of thecontainer and adapted to support a plurality of dry cells, flexible conductors fixed to the wall on each side of each holder for connecting said cells in series, and a rotary snap switch located above said lamp for opening and closing the circuit through said lamp anilcells.

6. In an electric lantern, the combination with a closed container, of a lamp and reflector secured to one'side of said container, one of .the walls of the container being adapted to open and close, a wall of insulating material within the container, means mounted on the insulating wall adapted to co-operate with the sides of a dry cell for supporting the same out of contact with the walls of the container, and resilient conductors carried by the insulating wall adapted to engage the top and bottom of said cell and said lamp' whereby when said container is open a dry cell may be directly inserted and simultaneously connected with said lamp. 4 I

7. Inan electrc lantern the combination with a container, of a switch having a" metal supporting plate, a rotatable shaft extending therethrough, a metal bushing on the plate and around the shaft, a handle on said shaft for turning the same, a yieldable conductor insulateu from said container, a lug also on the shaft adapted to co-operate with said yieldable conductor, the end of said bushing adjacent the handle being provided with notches to retain the handle in a' given position, one side'of each notch being inclined or beveled to facilitate movement of the handle past the notch, and a spring in co-operation with said plate and lug tending. to move the shaft longitudinally and keep the handle engaged with its notch on the bushing to prevent accidental operation of the switch.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

'ANKLER s. LYHNE. s 

